


Every Good Boy Does Fine

by softryuji (routesphere)



Category: Persona 5
Genre: Canon Compliant, Character Study, M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-17
Updated: 2017-09-20
Packaged: 2018-12-16 13:00:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 4,477
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11829264
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/routesphere/pseuds/softryuji
Summary: Crime boy from Hokkaido tries to live a normal probation/live in Tokyo, till he meets a certain blonde boy





	1. Tokyo

**Author's Note:**

> this is my first time writing a canon compliant. i hope my version interest you in any way.
> 
> title taken from Every Good Boy Does Fine by OWEL.

Akira never been to Tokyo. As humble local boy, he doesn’t have money to travel that far. He’s far less enthusiastic about it than everyone else in his city. A band from Tokyo, hold concert in the dome? Must watch. Fashion trends from Tokyo? Must wear. When there’s a student from Tokyo, his classmates will treat them as if someone important. Akira can’t relate, all his life he’s been in the same town.

He never complained of the confinement of his town. He never complained that his parents travel often but never take him with them. But now, after the “incident” he just wants to leave. His parents arranged a probation for him in Tokyo. They can’t do it themselves so they throw the responsibility to others. Such is the true nature of his parents. 

Tokyo is now his escapade. The almost 2 hours flight he spent by sleeping. He didn’t get the seat near the window, so it’s useless to figure out the view. The flight attendant informs them they’re almost landing. Akira who never unlocks his seat belt, sitting as composed as ever. His mind is repeating of what he has to do once he landed. 

The truth is, he already has the plan set up for the next whole year. It is simple, lay low and pretend to be invisible. Everybody expects him to be a “good boy” of course, stay out of trouble, they say. But Akira had been a good boy. Where that lead him to? No matter what he did, they would call him a criminal either way. If the events these past month taught him anything, it’s to not give in people’s opinions and expectations. Akira chooses self-preservation. If there’s a switch somewhere in his mind, he would turn that on now and activate robot-mode. 

The walk to the terminal from the airport is rather far. He’s glad most of his belongings already shipped before him. If the ferry cost isn’t that much, his parents probably ship him too inside the box. Without any regard. They didn’t walk him to the airport, and not here to welcome him on his arrival. It doesn’t matter though. It’s not like this is his first flight alone, he’s capable of himself.

The train started as almost empty, slowly crowded with the locals approaching Tokyo. The vast green of the scenery changes to houses, then to tall buildings. His destination is Shibuya, one of the main transfer station in Tokyo. He will transfer to the line to Yongen-Jaya.

The first thing he notices stepping down the platform is the warmth. He has to remind himself that it is still early spring. His feeble thin blazer and white t-shirt surprisingly enough for this temperature. Luckily he didn’t bring any of his heavy winter clothes either. The next thing he noticed is the crowd. He never seen this much people before. There’s a sudden rise of panic below his stomach. He hurries to the exit, takes out his phone. Everything is on his phone. He’ll get to his new lodging safely.

The popular Shibuya Crossing is right in front of him. How could there be so many people? Jumping back his attention to his phone, he notices something odd in the homescreen. There’s a thing that looks like an app, glowing red with an eye symbol. It is screaming of a virus. Akira works out his brain. It wasn’t there when he checks his phone in Chiba. Is it some sort of ‘Welcome to Tokyo’ virus? Is something that ridiculous exist? He does staring directly at it. He touches the app to delete it, when he notices something and looks away. Now that his thoughts stopped, he didn’t hear any other sound. He is in the middle of the busiest crowd in Tokyo, and there are no sounds. 

The people whenever he looks at, has been immobile. As if some invisible force has stopped them. Akira still can hear his own breath and heartbeat, that means he didn’t go deaf nor this is the afterlife. Still confused and taking in his surrounding, he lets out a gasp when he noticed something at the end of the crossroad, right in the middle. There is a flicker of flame, in seconds it bursts out into the air, becomes larger as if growing and living. It shapes into a being, with slanted eyes directly staring at him. The people around the fire still unmoving and obnoxious.

An image flashes into his mind. Someone with eyes wide, head soaked with blood. He didn’t realise at that time, but the person has the appearance of him. He doesn’t notice how the corner of his own lips curved into a wide grin.

A shift. People continue their movement. Sounds return. Akira stands there for seconds before returning to his journey.


	2. Room in the Attic

It took a while for him to reach his destination. The commuter is a maze, the narrow streets also. No more tile layout of his hometown. After walking around and asking strangers, he’s in front of a cafe called ‘Leblanc’. A middle-aged man that is probably as old as his own Dad is the owner, and apparently his caretaker for the next year.

“I was wondering what kind of unruly kid would show up,” says Sojiro Sakura, clearly not looking forward on welcoming him. “Did they told you? A customer of mine and your parents know each other. Not that it matters,” the man casually reveals.

That surprises Akira. Are you fucking kidding me? In other words, his parents just dropped him off to a stranger. He shouldn’t be surprised.

“I’ll show you your room,”

He follows the man ascending the stairs. An attic came into his view. He scans the room and unable to find any other room. He’s disappointed but only for a moment. The room is a disaster. All kinds of rubbish is in here. The bright side is that it’s spacious. A lot of cleaning and he will call it ‘home’. As much as unfitting is that, because he’s on probation and alone.

“You have something to say?”

“It’s spacious,”

“Guess you still have gratitude in you,”

Sojiro then goes on about reviewing his criminal record and probation. Akira just nods when the other needs confirmation of his story. In truth, he’s already thinking of ways to clean this mess of a room.

“I never been to your hometown, but I am sure the life there is nothing compared to here,.”

Of all the strange things that happened upon coming here, he wouldn’t doubt that statement.

“Don’t let that be your excuse. Adjust yourself, don’t cause any trouble, or I’ll throw you out and you’ll be send straight to juvie,”

Akira tries not to roll his eyes. As if everyone hasn’t threaten him that.

Sojiro finally left. He’s all alone in the spacious attic, right above a coffee shop. Now where is the cleaning supplies?

(**********)

He didn’t notice the sun already settling, between the brush of his broom and the swifts of his mop. After all, there’s a lot to clean.

Sojiro’s footsteps coming up the stairs. A look of disbelief on his face.

“All this noise, and you are cleaning?”

Akira shifts his gaze. What else would he do?

Sojiro looks amused as if reading his thoughts. Akira notes that that was the first time the man actually regards him.

“Aren’t you tired? You had a flight this morning after all. We’re going to your school tomorrow, so better not losing sleep,” Sojiro sees the look of surprise on Akira’s face, so he quickly continues, “I won’t be the one looking after you if you got sick, you got that?”

Akira nods in resignation. He admits he doesn’t know how to read this man. At one side he acts all uncaring and regrets of taking him in, but other side he’s showing his concern of his wellbeing.

“Thanks,” he says before the man descends the stairs. He figures there would be a lot of things in the future he have to thank for to the old man, and with much more deliberate expression of gratitude, but that will settle for now.

He thought he saw a smile on Sojiro’s face but it’s probably his imagination.

(*********)

As Akira lies down in his bed, not really needing a blanket, he heard Sojiro closing up the store from downstairs. He escapes a muffled groan. He understands now that a room just right above a store is the perfect setting to keep an eye on him. Every suspicious noise will be heard directly downstairs. He can’t jam to his favorite music, he can’t be excited on the things he saw on the internet, he can’t shout in frustration like right now. What about when he invited someone to his room? Well, it’s not like he’s gonna have a boyfriend. No one wants to befriend a criminal, especially having a relationship with them.

Suddenly the walls around him feels stretched, towering over him like a prison and he’s the inmate.

This sucks. All the events that leads him to his current predicament, sucks. No matter where, it is like escaping one prison and enters the other.

Still angry, he falls asleep.


	3. Lush

Monday comes, Akira’s first day of school. He observes himself in front of the mirror. The uniform he wears has turtleneck, suspenders, and a blazer, all according to the school rules. His glasses complements his look as any student from a prep school. Appearance ready, books and school bag are ready. Himself mentally? Not so.

The weekend was his own supervillain origin story. The trip to the school for his transfer arrangement was the blow. The teachers treated him with scorn, “One wrong step and you’ll be expelled” “You should be grateful”. They weren’t different from the school he’s from, and he wouldn’t guess the students reaction either. The fake enthusiasm he had built up to the “new” school evaporated to air. In the remains of it, he tried looking forward last night. He even read the school rules and guidelines (he stopped midway and fold the files to paper airplanes instead).

He starts to descend the stairs, his legs laggy. Aroma of coffee and curry immediately invaded his senses. The wooden steps are creaky. Does he really have to go to school?

Dread pools in his stomach and down to his feet. Anxiety creeps into mind. How foolish of him, to think Tokyo is going to be a better place for him. His mind flies to the town he left behind. Even though he’s alone in Sapporo, he has his happy places. He can go eat soup curry alone in a warm dim lit diner, he can cycle across suburbs, he can climb hills and drink tea with old people. The cold also matched his dark soul.

Grow up, you just get started.

“Morning,”

Akira looks up, surprises to see Sojiro behind the counter. Was he there all this time?

“Good morning,” Akira feels awkward, standing between the counter and the booths, swaying his feet.

“Guess you’re going to school after all,” Sojiro says with his usual indifferent expression. Akira is unsure if he’s surprised or actually encouraging him to go.

Sojiro places a plate of curry on the counter, “Here eat,”

Now that’s an order. He hesitantly drops down to the chair in front of the plate. “Is this my breakfast?”

“I told you to eat, didn’t I?”

Maybe Sojiro spotted the gloom on his face. As he spoons the unexpected free breakfast, his thoughts calm down. The curry is not bad either, it just lacked the spice for his tongue. He tasted a lot of knock-off disgusting school canteen curry, he isn’t sure he liked the meal. He spoons Sojiro’s homemade curry faster.

“Slow down, no one’s stealing your meal,”

“But it’s just so good!”

Akira decides he will eat anything this man cooked for him.

He remembers the tiny notebook he received after school yesterday. He opens it. This is the right time to add an entry.

_**Monday, 4/11.** _

_**7.04 am.** _

_**With: Sojiro.** _

_**Eats free Leblanc’s curry for breakfast.** _

Alright.

“Off to school now. You’re gonna be late if you get lost, country boy.”

“Technically, Sapporo is still a city,”

Sojiro visibly sighs. “Don’t forget to flip the sign ‘open’,”

(***********)

He often heard how crazy the commuter in Tokyo during rush hour, but experiencing it himself is  insane. The car is dangerously packed, but the door still open and people still rushing in. He squeezed himself in, but failed to go further than the doorway. He holds on for his dear life, afraid being knocked off by people rushing out.

The transfer in Shibuya isn’t any better. His neck strains from looking up at the signs, following directions. The signs aren’t exactly direct, and many transfer lines squeezed in one, it is difficult to trace. The Ginza line sign sometimes disappear and he lost his way. He almost took the escalator to a fancy mall above ground, which happens to have another line entrance. Understanding the layout of this place is _impossible_. He noted when he have a spare time, he have to look around to familiarize himself.

(************)

Rain greets him when he appears above ground from Aoyama-Itchome station. He runs to a nearby store for shelter, the taps of his footsteps against the wet side-walk relieving the stress he had from the rush hour. He doubts he will ever get used to it.

People including students passing by, their umbrellas half covered their heads. He sighs and leans on the wall, one hand fishing his phone. He was too busy quarreling with his mental state to check on the weather. According to his navigation app, he’s not that far from school. He might made it without getting late, then he’ll be able to write on his good boy record/notebook. He frowns, noticing the virus app he had deleted many times has infiltrated his navigation app. His life just started in this new city, but his phone already broken.

Someone else arrives. They gracefully flips their hood. Blond curls fall out, pale skin, blue eyes. She notices Akira’s staring and smiles at him. She wears the same blazer as him. Foreign fellow student? He assumes it’s normal to have a foreign student in a prep school in Tokyo.

A car stops in front of them. A man in his mid 20s, with long double chin appears behind the window. He invites the girl to give her a lift to school. He invites Akira too, but he politely declines. The girl should’ve declined too, she looks displeased when she gets in the car.

“Damn it! Screw that pervy teacher!” abruptly, a boy runs in as the car leaves.

“Pervy teacher?” Akira’s confused mumble apparently took the boy’s notice.

It’s still raining around them. Sakura trees blooming in the distance, it’s pink petals blur with the touch of rain, blending with the grey skies like watercolors.

Akira and the boy’s gaze met. Grey eyes with brown. Black hair and blond. Both not saying anything. The sounds are only their escaped breaths, and the crowd in the distance muffled by the rain. For a while, both not realising their inaction.

“What do you want?” the blond of the two finally blurts out. “You plan to ratting me out to Kamoshida?”

Akira blinks out of his trance, eyelashes fluttering. He tries to take a good look on him. It’s still raining, but the boy doesn’t seem to mind. His Japanese is too rude to be a foreigner, so the hair color is definitely dyed. His posture slouched, as if every sign pointing him that he’s a punk. It’s easier to guess he’s from the same school as he is, minus the obnoxious t-shirt. Does everyone from this school violates the dress code?

“Who?”

“Didn’t you see it was Kamoshida in that car?” the blond looks thrown, “He does whatever he wants. What does he think he is, the king of a castle?”

“Which castle?” Akira teases him, not sure why. The blond is so worked up talking about the ugly double-chinned teacher.

“It’s just a saying…” his expression softens. Akira wants to laugh. Then he sees the other’s brown eyes perks up, “Wait, you dont know Kamoshida? You’re from Shujin right?”

“I think so..”

“You go to Shujin but you’re not sure,” the blond exhales, not realising answering his own question. “You’re a second grader too. But I’ve never seen you before. Oh, you a transfer student?”

You just figure that out?

“The rain ain’t so bad. We better hurry up or we gonna be late,”

Akira decides not to ask the blond, whether he invites him or not. He knows he should have, but he doesn’t want to lose him yet. He’s a little vulgar maybe but he’s pleasing to look at. Not when his morning starts to get interesting. The tone of his voice sounds inviting, he’ll hold on to that.

When suddenly a nauseous sensation hits him.

“Damn I wanna go home..”

Akira agrees wholeheartedly.


	4. Thief in Shining Armor pt. 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *sneakily changes the series summary*
> 
> also if you've noticed I kinda made a side story(?) but doesn't parallel to this, just sets in the future and more varied than canon. bc im so slow on writing this one;;

Akira follows the blond, down the alley, towards the school. He doesn’t question, trusting the boy with each steps. The tap of their shoes against the puddles scattered among the ground. His mind already come up with a new entry for his notebook. 

_**7.54 am.** _

_**Walk to the school.** _

_**With:** _

Right. Akira hasn’t asked the blond’s name. At the same time, he heard a cry from the latter. Something just caught the guy’s attention and Akira follows to find out. It doesn’t take him effort. In front of them is a huge entrance, a fort and a draw-bridge. In the horizon he’s able to make out the outline of towers. Impressive, he thought. This whole sight reminds him of a castle from western fantasy books.

“We didn’t come the wrong way, though..” 

Akira shrugs, the blond’s the one who knows the direction. 

“What’s going on here? Guess we’ll just have to go and ask,”

The sky is remarkably red, and since they started walking towards the school, he could sense a strange aura, like malice. It was lurking in the corners trying to catch them off guard. Now it’s simply right in front of them. But the blond has just the most brilliant idea, to go inside the obviously incredulous looking castle and search for the front desk. Akira couldn’t deny, he’s not the most brilliant either.

They passed the bridge, for a huge complex no one seems to be around. Which is strange. Akira senses danger. Shouting probably isn’t a good idea. They easily got inside the huge entrance after the bridge, what Akira thought is now the main hall. The interior is covered with vibrant red tapestry. There’s light from candles and chandeliers. It can be any castle, but it also feels hollow.  

“That’s weird, where’s the school?” asks the blond.

“Is this supposed to be our school?” Akira doesn’t recon signing up for Hogwarts. When he visited in the weekend, it looked normal too.

“Yes, but definitely not _this_ ,”

Obviously. 

“The sign was for the school, right?”

“Uhh..”

“What, don’t tell me you didn’t see it?”

The castle was big and the sign was small. He wants to come up with a reason when he suddenly notices someone (or something?) approaching them. It’s quite obvious because it has the height unlike normal human. Its bulky and has weird shape too, an armor that almost looks real covers it’s flesh.

“Is that armor real?” the blond approaches it. “Don’t just stand there say something,”

“Hey, I think it’s better not to get closer..” Akira starts when another thing approaches them.

“What’s going on?” he can sense the panic in the blond’s voice

“Maybe this is just a prank,” Akira assures him in vain.

The two what looks like armored guards of the castle do not stop advancing towards them. 

“C-calm down! Time out man!” “We gotta run!”

Akira agrees, but before they even start doing so, more of the things blocked their way. 

One of them with their enormous shield takes the blond down. He yowls in pain.

“Hey! Not cool!” Akira steps in but he immediately gets struck down by another.

His vision blurs. In the blackness he heard them, “Take them away!”

(********) 

Later, a voice wakes him up. A hard surface, stoned walls, there’s barely any lightning. The door is barred, almost too familiar like his dream.

“You alright?”

“I am fine, you?”

“Yeah, those guard struck us pretty hard, yeah?”

“Nothing we can’t handle,” 

Maybe this is not the right time to be joking around, Akira almost regret what he said, then he sees the smile on the blond’s face. Akira smiled back. Both of them snickered.

They’re locked inside a cell, but at least they’re inside a cell together.

“Looks like this ain’t a dream,” the blond is back on his frustration, “what’s going on?! Let us out of here!” he shouts near the bar but in no vain.

“Damn it! Where are we? Is it some kind of TV set?” the blond questions at no one in particular, Akira really hopes he can help but two can’t be frustrated in a same situation. When suddenly a howl takes both of their attention. Immediately they sprint o find the source, only to be held back by the locked bar. The howl keeps going for a few seconds. It sounds so much in pain and it runs shiver down their spine.

“You’re shitting me, right?! We gotta get out of here!" 

Akira agrees. All the time he managed the calm composure, that howl successfully cracks it. A rising panic. They really need to get out from whatever here is. The walls he examined has some chains and torturing devices. This is no doubt a torturing chamber. 

There’s only one bed. He notices how he woke up from that bed. How did they put them together inside this cell? Did the blond also woke up from the same bed? The one who’s in charge probably some wack ass who think it’s more effective than to separate their capture.

“No one’s allowed to do as they please in my castle,” Just the right time, someone upon the guards that came to them just now, condescendingly announced their charge of the castle, answered Akira's question. 

The blond looks like in the most shock. The owner wears horrendous cape and a crown, Akira can second that shock.

“Is that you, Kamoshida?”  

“Kamoshida?” now Akira genuinely in shock too. 

Does the blond really mean that this whackjob in front of them is actually his teacher?

“So it’s just you, Sakamoto..” 

The way this guy refers to the blond -Sakamoto- with creep familiarity, somehow makes Akira’s grip on the bar tightens.

“Haven’t you learn your lesson? And you brought a friend this time, because you can’t handle anything by yourself,”

“This isn’t funny, you asshole!”

“Is that how you speak to a king?! Not only you did sneak into my castle, you insulted me, the king! The punishment for that, is death!” 

There it is again, the death sentence. Teacher/king Kamoshida solidified what the guard said just before. Killing two mere teenagers for a sheer offense. This whole thing is a joke, but no one’s laughing. 

The door to the cell is opened, the guards advance towards Sakamoto. That doesn’t make Sakamoto less afraid, instead he fights back, rather gallantly.

“Come on, we’re out of here!”

Sakamoto with his attention to Akira, unable to avoid a guard pulling a strike. Sakamoto holds down, stomach in pain. Akira steps forward, trying to seize the guard’s arm, but it is hard as a rock, his strength is so feeble compared to it.

“Just go! Get out of here! These guys are serious”

Akira isn’t the one cornered, he does have a chance to leave. 

“Oh, running away are we? What a heartless friend you are?”

“We ain’t friends! Come on! Hurry up! Just go!”

Sakamoto’s declare somehow struck him more than it should. 

He can’t move his legs. Even if he can, would he really be leaving Sakamoto?

“What’s wrong? Too scared to run away?” 

Not unusual Akira is out of words. The more this bastard talks to him, the more he’s sick of him. It's not worth to talk back.

“I’ll focus on this one’s execution,”

Sakamoto is taken both of his hands by the guards. Kamoshida starts to beat him right in front of Akira. Every pull struck him hard, and Kamoshida keeps calling him with names. As if this teacher has personal vendetta towards a mere student.

What the fuck is _wrong_ with this teacher? If he’s a teacher at all. 

Watching Sakamoto’s body falling every beating he took. Akira feels weak, he feels helpless. No way he would leave him like this. Sure they're strangers, Sakamoto said so. He can just leave and pretend this never happened. But he got to this place, with him. Not everyday you meet a stranger to go to school with and ended up in a mad castle. Whatever reason fate putting them together, he won’t leave Sakamoto to this bastard. 

The beating stops, Sakamoto is thrown to the ground, but the scumbag teacher doesn’t seem about to stop. It doesn’t seem to be enough for him until Sakamoto is finally dead. “Stop it!” the words that he’s been dying to say, finally let out of Akira. He was afraid that his courage would fail him. He didn’t trust his words would not stutter and plead. Turns out, it was a command, and damn it felt good.

Sakamoto is so brave, and he took all the beating by himself. Akira was calm but he was afraid. Sakamoto shows him the way. This shit Kamoshida, isn’t worth to be afraid of.

“Don’t you dare tell me you don’t know who I am!” 

The urge was there. Yes, he doesn’t know him. Thus his confident is resolute, there’s no reason for him to be afraid.

“That look in your eyes irritates me!” 

He receives a kick and hits the ground hard.

“After this peasant, it’s his turn to die,”

“No!”

Two guards seized him. His struggle is futile against the dead weight. He watches Kamoshida advances towards Sakamoto. Just like a moment ago where he could do nothing and watch Kamoshida beat him up. This time, Akira won’t do nothing. This time Kamoshida aims to kill Ryuji. Akira won’t let that happen, but _how?_ He cannot escape the dead grip of the guards. Even if he can, it’s himself against them and Kamoshida. He only have a strength of a child. How can he help? He have to do something, or else Sakamoto will die.

“No.. I don’t wanna die!”

Sakamoto’s plead on the ground was painful. Is there really nothing he can do?


End file.
